June 27th, 2012

My youngest brother, Ben, has day camp three days a week, and mom has convinced Nick and I to go for a half-hour walk with her in the mornings while he's gone. We've been going to a local forest preserve, walking the trails for several weeks now. Today we went again. Sometimes, we see a great deal of wildlife (on Monday, mom found a wee baby turtle!), but today was looking pretty quiet. On our way back, however, we spotted a bluebird, which Nick tells me is rather rare around here, as they eat fruit. Therefore, they can be hard to find around suburbia, where fruit-bearing bushes are rare. How wonderful, to see those turquoise feathers!

June 24th, 2012

I lead a busy life, even during the summer, and of course I had to immediately begin preparing for a second trip after our Niagara experience. Nick and I agreed months ago to go with some other teens from my parent's church to Indiana's Shades State Park, a trip which fell on the 21st to the 23rd. Church stuff aside, the yearly trip is actually quite nice, and includes camping and canoeing on the lovely Sugar Creek. This year, Indiana has been very dry, so the Creek was much lower than usual. Therefore, we were all very glad when it rained a bit on the 21st (the rain conveniently held off until we had all our tents set up). Once the rain stopped, we went on a hike through the forest. The trails run near or through the park's many ravines, which can make walking difficult when it is wet. This year, the stream beds were largely dry, so things were less challenging, although given the previous rain, the wooden stairs up and down the ravines were very slick. I fell twice, and would have tobogganed down the stairs if I hadn't grabbed the handrails.
The following day, we went canoeing. Because the Creek was low, we had to drag the canoe in many places, but we still got in plenty of paddling; my shoulders will be sore for several days. The shallow water did have its advantages: we could see all the fish in the Creek. There were thousands of tiny minnows, as well as bigger carp, bass, and some kind of gar or pike. Nick spotted a turtle (not to mention all the frogs and toads), and we spent probably 80% of the trip following a trio of herons, who would fly 50 feet or so, wait for us to catch up, and then fly on again. Nick laughed when I suggested that maybe they were leading us back to camp, but I don't think it was that ridiculous an idea; twice, the Creek split, and we couldn't tell which way to go. Both times, the herons flew the direction we needed to head, and we discovered later that the other fork just led to a blocked area. Perhaps it would have been passable on both sides if the water was higher, but that day, the herons definitely knew what they were doing. And according to Native American tradition, the heron is regarded as having good judgement, as well as being a source of wisdom. I think I was not as far off base as Nick may have believed. Later, we canoed past an entire flock of turkey vultures, saw some kingfishers, and discovered some cool fossils.

When we returned to camp, we roasted hot dog dinners and took another hike. It was strange - I had literally just told Nick that I'd like to see one of the park's white tailed deer when I looked up, and one was picking its way up the side of the hill.
We got back on Saturday. I'd wanted to stay longer, as the park sported a few posters advertising a party that was to be held in honor of the park's 60-year anniversary, complete with Native American music and drum circle. Unfortunately, we had a schedule to keep, so sticking around wasn't possible. Since my return, I've largely been focusing on re-reading some old favorites and doing summer homework. I couldn't be more thankful for this opportunity to see some of the goddess' finest natural beauty. Have you gone on any exciting vacations this summer?

June 17th, 2012

Our trip to Niagara was great! It lasted from the 14th to the 17th, and we got to see all sorts of things. The 14th was all driving; we left later in the day, and spent the night in Indiana. On the 15th, we drove the rest of the way, and got to our hotel in Cheektowaga, NY, just in time for supper. After we ate, we made it down to the falls to see one Nik Wellenda! It was completely by coincidence that our trip matched his crossing of the falls on tightrope, and honestly, I was glad we hadn't come all the way out just to see that. We didn't really have the greatest view, as there were so many people. Nevertheless, I could see the tightrope, shimmering through the mist. And once it started, I could just make out Wellenda working his way across.

The next day was more exciting, though. We took the Maid of the Mist out under the Horseshoe Falls. The mist was so thick, you couldn't even see the waterfall. You looked up from the tossing lake, thick with foam, to see a blanket of white filling the sky. We wore ponchos on the boat, so I got less wet than I'd anticipated, but Niagara was perfectly happy to change that later in the day. After we docked, we walked over to Goat Island to get a better view of Bridal Veil Falls. It was nice to look down them, but it was the Cave of the Winds tour that was truly magickal. It was a hike right in front of the Bridal Veil Falls, that takes you to where Hinum's cave once existed, before years of erosion washed it out.

The tour lets you view the vast population of gulls (including the last fluffy babies), as well as get a close-up of the water. A close-up as in water pouring down the inside of your poncho, making them completely irrelevant. One could literally stand mere feet in front of the falls. In spite of being surrounded by people, you can't hear anything except the roar of the water in your ears. We drove the 12 hours back home on the 17th, taking a detour through Pennsylvania to see some of the Allegheny Forest.

June 12th, 2012

Strange things happen sometimes, and I for one do not believe in coincidence. Yesterday, after typing up the information about this Celtic Tree Month, Oak, my mom, Nick, and I went on a half-hour hike at a local forest preserve. It was almost time to turn around and head back, when we came upon a place where the trees hung over the path and formed a tunnel. Nick declared that it was a "portal to another world", and said that we must go through it. We did so, and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen. However, turning back, I looked up and realized that the trees creating the tunnel were varieties of Oak. I was instantly reminded that the Fey protect Oaks, and wondered for a moment if Nick's claim that the tunnel was a portal was as far-fetched as it seemed. Then later, my dad said, totally out of the blue, that if something were to happen to one of the trees out front, he would replace it with an Oak tree. I feel as though I am being told something here....

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In other news, mom and dad decided to take a vacation this summer - we're going to Niagara Falls! We will go hiking, and also take the Maid of the Mist boat out to see the falls up close. Naturally, the Native American tribes who once lived in the area had legends about the falls, and indeed, the name "Maid of the Mist" comes from that folktale. 

The Ongiara people had lived peacefully along the falls for many years, when suddenly, many villagers began to sicken and die. The people thought that they had angered the thunder god Hinum, so they began to send canoes of food over the falls in offering to him. When that failed to stop the sickness, the chief's daughter, Lelawala, was to be sent over instead. As she fell over the edge of the waterfall, however, the sons of Hinum caught her, and wished to marry her. Lelawala agreed, on the condition that she be allowed to tell her people how to save themselves from the sickness. The youngest son told her that it was not Hinum's anger killing her people, but rather, a great water snake that was poisoning the water, and then eating those who had died. Lelawala was then allowed to appear to her people as a spirit, and tell them of the terrible snake. The villagers hunted it down and killed it before it could do the people any more harm. The river swept away the body, and Hinum turned the snake's remains into the Horseshoe Falls segment of Niagara. Henceforth, Lelawala has reigned in the cave behind the falls as the Maid of the Mist.

I am not yet sure, but I think that we are to hike to the cave behind the falls, and if so, I should like to pay homage to Lelawala, who, after her marriage to the youngest of Hinum's sons, became a goddess of the Ongiara tribe. She is said to wear a white doeskin robe, with a wreath of flowers in her hair. 

June 11th, 2012

It came to my attention last night at about 10:30 that yesterday was the beginning of the Celtic Tree Month of Oak. For whatever reason, I was thinking that was next weekend. As such, I shall do my little spiel today, yes?
The Oak month is Duir in Celtic, and may have meant "door". Many scholars theorize that Duir was the root word of Druid. The Oak is a tree or shrub in the Quercus genus, and has about 600 different species. Oak is native to the northern hemisphere, and can be deciduous or evergreen, ranging from temperate climates to tropical. The flowers are catkins, and the fruit is the omnipresent acorn, also known as a cupule.
In Greek mythos, the oak is Zeus' sacred tree, and at his oracle in Dodona, an ancient oak forms the temple's central structure. The priests of Zeus would interpret the god's word by listening to the rustling of the oak's leaves. In Baltic mythology, that is, the myths of the Lithuanian region, the Oak is sacred to Perkons, god of thunder, like Zeus to the Greeks. Even the Celts followed the relation to thunder - Taranus, the thunder god, was associated with the tree. The Norse continued the association: Thor's tree was the Oak. Some scholars speculate that this was because the Oak is the largest tree native to Europe, and therefore was most frequently struck by lightning. Regardless, the Oak has a strong connection to the weather, particularly storms.
In magick, the Oak is an extremely versatile wood. It can be used in spells for strength, prosperity, good fortune, fertility, money, and success. According to legend, catching a falling Oak leaf before it touches the ground ensures good health in the coming year. Also, and acorn carried in the pocket will bring success to a business meeting. The ashes from a burned piece of Oak will protect one against lightning and fire, although on the other hand, Oak could be used to draw a storm during drought. The burning of the leaves has a purifying effect, and can be used as an alternative to incense. Oak is also closely tied to masculinity, making it a traditional wood for carving masculine tools: the athame, staff, etc.
*A note to the wise: Oak, like other trees, is said to be the home of the Fey. Oak is a powerful and sacred tree, so any wood, leaves, etc. taken from a tree must be repaid with a sacrifice of some kind. Water and/or natural fertilizer is a good place to start, but tokens such as hair, stones, etc. are also acceptable.
Acorns make excellent snacks, although other parts of the tree are less edible. The White Oak in particular provides acorns that may be sweet enough to be eaten raw. (The White Oak can be identified by the rounded edges of the leaves.) However, the acorns can also be boiled or roasted, then dried. As such, the acorn can be eaten like a nut, dipped in syrup to make candy, or ground into flour. Acorns contain natural, healthy fats, and are rich in protein.

June 6th, 2012

Summer vacation officially began the afternoon of the 4th. Since then, my brothers and I have been kicking back, enjoying the weather. On Sunday, mom thought it would be nice to go out for a while, so we drove to a heritage farm about 20 minutes from our house. We saw their new calves (a few months old, I believe) and a horde of baby piglets that were born on the 29th. They were really tiny, maybe the size of your hand. We hiked through the surrounding nature preserve, and saw wild turtles and frogs, plus several enterprising chipmunks. Indeed, we had just arrived at the preserve's visitor's center when one chipmunk, in search of food, was tackled by a second chipmunk that lept from the trees like a crazed Tarzan. Nick spotted a Baltimore Oriole, a bird species of high interest to him, and I purchased an arrowhead at the visitor's center. I don't believe it was particularly old, but cool nevertheless. In other news, I got my Litha altar set up, and will theoretically be making a video soon.